Clamp apparatus



March 5, 1963 T. G. JEZOWSKI 3,080,085

CLAMP APPARATUS Filed June 3. 1960 INVENTOR. THEODORE aqszowsm ATTORNEY S 3,080,085 CLAMY APPARATUS Theodore G. Jezowski, 4947 S. Flajole Road, Niidland, Mich. Filed June 3, 1969, Ser. No. 33,829 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to clamping apparatus and more particularly to apparatus which is especially adapted for use in clamping insulation or the like about the end of a cylindrical or other conventionally shaped tank or container.

When manufacturing or storing certain kinds of chemicals or other substances, it frequently becomes necessary to deliver the material to a tank in either heated or refrigerated condition. In order to avoid undue heat exchange, it is customary to insulate the tank or container. N particular difiiculty is encountered in insulating the body of a cylindrical or other convention-ally shaped tank, but there are problems involved in insulating the ends of some tanks, particularly outwardly convex ends of cylindrical body tanks. The type of installation which has been found to be satisfactory for many purposes is blocks of suitable insulating material which are cut and shaped to cover completely the end of the tank. These blocks then must be held in place and they cannot always be glued or bonded inasmuch as the bonding material may be adversely affected by either low or high temperatures. Accordingly, it has been the practice to make use of metal bands that overlie the insulation blocks and are anchored to securing devices of one kind or another that are fixed to the tank body. While the use of bands to maintain the blocks of insulation in place is satisfactory in itself, considerable dimculty and expense have been encountered in providing suitable anchoring devices for the bands. As might well be expected, not all of the tanks or containers are uniform in size, so it has been the practice heretofore to construct anchoring devices at the job site and for the individual containers involved. As a consequence, the time and cost of insulating such containers have been rather excessive.

An object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus for use in clamping insulation or the like on the ends of a cylindrical or other conventionally shaped tank or container.

Another object of the invention is to provide clamping apparatus of the kind referred to which may be manufactured in standard length-s prior to its use and wherein one or more lengths may be so arranged, without modification, as to encircle the body of the container on which the insulation is to be installed.

A further object of the invention is to provide insulation clamping apparatus which readily lends itself to mass production techniques and which is capable of use with varying size containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide clamping apparatus of the kind referred to which is simple and economical in construction but rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a tank equipped with apparatus formed according to the invention, the section being taken on the line 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the clamp apparatus; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the disclosed embodiment of the invention is adapted for use in connection with a hollow container or tank 1 having a cylindrical or other suitably shaped body wall 2 fitted with an outwardly convex head or end 3. It is the practice in the manufacture of tanks such as the tank 1 to form the body 2 and head 3 separately from one another and then join them together by suitable means such as welding and, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the body 2 and the head 3 may have circumferential flanges 4 which are Welded or otherwise fixed to one another.

The apparatus formed according to the disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises a ring member 5 composed of one or more similar sections 6 of steel or iron and each consisting of a metal strap having laterally arranged projections 7 formed by reversely bent loops, the legs -8 of each loop being secured to one another by suitable means such as spot welding, as is indicated at 9.

In the manufacture of the support sections 6, each preferably is formed of the same length and, prior to being installed on its associated container, each section preferably is straight with all of the projections 7 extending in the same direction. The spacing between adjacent projections '7 may vary, but it has been found that for most installations a spacing of about four inches between projections is satisfactory.

Each of the projections 7 is provided with an opening 19 therein and in which is loosely received an elongate anchor rod 11 which, after curving of the section 6, preferably is slightly shorter in length than the length of the associated section 6 for a reason presently to be explained. The project-ions 7 and their openings thus form support means for the rods 11.

When it is desired to assemble the clamping apparatus on a tank, one or more of the sections 6, depending on the size of the tank and the size of the sections, may be curved about the body of the tank so as to encircle it. Preferably, the clamping apparatus is placed adjacent to the tank flanges so that the latter will react with the section 6 and aid in preventing its slipping off the tank body.

Should one section 6 be of insufiicient length completely to encircle the body wall 2, one or more additional sections 6 may be coupled with the first section, and the individual sections secured one to another at their free ends by means of clamping bolts 12 extending through the openings Iii in the extreme end projections 7 of two adjacent sections 6, each bolt 12 having a head 13 at one end and lock nuts 14- at its other end which may be manipulated to draw and lock the support member 5 tightly against the body 2 of the container.

During the application of the support member 5 to the tank body, the members 6 and 11 will be curved or shaped to conform to the configuration of the body 2 with the anchor rods 11 located radially outwardly of the members 6. Consequently, the ends of the members 11 will be withdrawn from the end projections 7 so as to free the openings in the end projections 7 for reception of the clamping bolts 12. Thus, while the anchor members 11 extend over substantially the full length of the ring member 5 and are concentric therewith, a clearance is provided between the 'end projections 7 of a pair of adjacent sections 6. Clearance of the end projections 7 by the members 11 may be assured by making the members 11 initially somewhat shorter in length than the length of the sections 6. However, it is desirable that only the end projections 7 be cleared by the members 11 or, stated differently, the members 11 should be supported in all projections 7, except the end projections, when the clamp apparatus is in place around the body 2 of the tank.

In the event it becomes necessary to cut one of the sections 6 in order to provide a clamping member having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the tank body, it is a simple matter to cut the strap between a pair'of projections 7 and,iif necessary, alsoftdcut the anchor rod 11, thereby permitting a section oiany desired length to be associated with any other section.

When the clamp member 5 has been placed in position on the tank body and clamped tightly thereagains-t, insula tion blocks 15 may be located on the end wall 3 and be held in place by metal bands 16 which may be looped around the \anchor rod 11 and the clamp bolts12. If desired, a central, concentric anchor ring 17 may be located at the center of the end wall 3 and around which the bands 16 may be looped, the end-s of the bands being securedto one another in any conventional manner, so as to enable the hands to hold the insulation blocks 15 in place. Alternatively, the bands 16 may extend from one side of the clamp apparatus 5 to the other, completely across the end wall 3 so as to be anchored solely to the anchor rods and clamp bolts 12. In either event, the clamp apparatus disclosed herein serves to anchor the bands 16 in tight engagement with the insulation blocks 15 and hold the latter in place. Insulation 18 may be placed on the wall 2, if desired, and held by bands or other suitable means, not shown.

The disclosed embodiment is illustrative of a presently preferred form of the invention but is intended to be representative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim;

1. Apparatus for use in clamping insulation or the like on a container, said apparatus comprising a rigid strap of suflicien-t flexibility to conform to the shape-- of said container and being of such length as substantially to encircle said container; a plurality of rigid support members on said strap spaced along the length thereof and extending radially outwardly therefrom when said strap encircles said container, one of said support -members being located adjacent each end of said strap, and each of said support members having an opening therein spaced radially outwardly from said strap; clamp means extending through the openings of the support members at the ends of said strap for drawing the ends of the latter toward one another to clamp said strap about said con tainer; and a rigid anchor member slideably received in the openings of the support members other than those at the ends of said strap and being concentric with said strap, said anchor member terminating short of each end of said strap. V

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each, of said support members is formed by reversely bending said strapto form a loop, each of said loops having parallel legs secured to one another in 'face-itwface engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 988,731 Naylor Apr. 4, 1911 1,148,355 Carter i Oct. 27, 1915 1,558,217 Baldwin Oct. 20, 1925 2,323,297 Coll-ins July 6, 1943 2,724,871 Levine Nov. 29, 1955 2,769,409 Rutten Nov. 6, 1956 

1. APPARATUS FOR USE IN CLAMPING INSULATION OR THE LIKE ON A CONTAINER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A RIGID STRAP OF SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY TO CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF SAID CONTAINER AND BEING OF SUCH LENGTH AS SUBSTANTIALLY TO ENCIRCLE SAID CONTAINER; A PLURALITY OF RIGID SUPPORT MEMBERS ON SAID STRAP SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM WHEN SAID STRAP ENCIRCLES SAID CONTAINER, ONE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT EACH END OF SAID STRAP, AND EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID STRAP; CLAMP MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF THE SUPPORT MEMBERS AT THE ENDS OF SAID STRAP FOR DRAWING THE ENDS OF THE LATTER TOWARD ONE ANOTHER TO CLAMP SAID STRAP ABOUT SAID CONTAINER; AND A RIGID ANCHOR MEMBER SLIDEABLY RECEIVED IN THE OPENINGS OF THE SUPPORT MEMBERS OTHER THAN THOSE AT THE ENDS OF SAID STRAP AND BEING CONCENTRIC WITH SAID STRAP, SAID ANCHOR MEMBER TERMINATING SHORT OF EACH END OF SAID STRAP. 